In many African communities, helping each other is a way of life. For persons with disabilities (PWDs) who may find it hard to use technology alone—due to severe mobility limitations, cognitive challenges, or other disabilities—AI can still be a powerful tool when used with the help of others. A trusted helper, like a family member, friend, or community volunteer, can bridge the gap, making AI accessible to you.
Consider Mary, a woman with severe cerebral palsy in Uganda. She can’t use a phone herself, but her sister uses an AI app to create a picture-based communication board for her, helping Mary express her needs. Or think of Ibrahim, a child with autism in Kenya, whose teacher uses AI to generate simple lesson plans that he can follow. These stories show how AI, with a helper’s support, can transform lives.
This module is for PWDs who need assistance to use AI. We’ll show how to train helpers, use simple AI tasks, and build community support, all tailored to low-resource African settings. As the African proverb says, “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together”—with a helper, you and AI can go far.
Training Trusted Helpers: Building a Support Team
A trusted helper is someone you rely on—like a family member, friend, or community volunteer—who can use AI on your behalf. Training them is the first step to making AI work for you.
What It Is: Teaching your helper how to use AI tools, like apps or voice assistants, to assist with your specific needs.
Example: In Zimbabwe, a woman named Tsitsi with severe mobility limitations trains her brother to use Google Assistant. He learns to say, “Set a reminder for Tsitsi’s medicine,” helping her stay on schedule.
How to Train a Helper:
Choose someone you trust who is willing to learn (e.g., a sibling, neighbour, or volunteer).
Show them one simple AI task, like asking, “What’s the weather today?” on a phone.
Practice together, letting them try the task while you guide them.
Encourage them to ask local NGOs for AI training resources.
Accessibility Tip: If you can’t speak or explain easily, use gestures, pictures, or a communication board to share what you need.
Simple AI Tasks Anyone Can Learn
AI doesn’t have to be complicated. Helpers can use simple tasks to support you, even if they’re new to technology.
What It Is: Basic AI actions, like asking questions or creating visuals, that helpers can do with minimal training.
Examples of Tasks:
Scheduling: “Set a daily reminder for [task, e.g., taking medicine].”
Communication: “Create a picture board for [need, e.g., food or water].”
Information: “Find a clinic with wheelchair access near me.”
Learning: “Explain [topic] in simple words with pictures.”
Example: In Nigeria, a child named Chinedu with cognitive disabilities has a teacher who types, “Make a simple story about animals,” into an AI app. The app creates a picture-based story Chinedu can follow.
How to Start:
1. Pick one task that meets your needs (e.g., reminders or communication).
2. Ask your helper to try it on a phone or community computer.
3. Use a trusted app like Google Assistant or a local NGO-recommended tool.
Tools: Google Assistant (free, basic smartphones), Boardmaker (for picture boards, if available).
Communication Boards with AI: Expressing Your Needs
If you can’t speak or type, AI can help your helper create communication boards—pictures or symbols you point to or look at to share your needs.
What It Is: AI generates custom boards with images for things like food, emotions, or activities, which you can use to communicate.
Example: In South Africa, a boy named Sipho with autism uses a communication board created by his mother. She types, “Make a picture board for daily needs,” into an AI app, and it produces images for “hungry,” “tired,” and “happy.” Sipho points to them to express himself.
How to Start:
Tell your helper what you want to communicate (e.g., “I need to say when I’m thirsty”).
Ask them to use an AI app to create images or symbols (e.g., “Create a board for food and drink”).
Practice pointing to or looking at the images to share your needs.
Tools: Boardmaker (if accessible), Canva AI (online, for visuals), Google Translate (image-to-text).
Accessibility Tip: If you can’t point, use eye movements or sounds, and ask your helper to watch for these signals.
Group Accessibility Sessions: Learning Together
Community groups, like disability organisations or church gatherings, can host sessions where helpers learn to use AI for multiple PWDs.
What It Is: Group workshops where helpers practice AI tasks, share tips, and build skills to support PWDs.
Example: In Ghana, a disability group holds a weekly session where volunteers learn to use AI apps like Be My Eyes. One volunteer helps a blind woman named Ama by saying, “Describe this market scene,” and shares the AI’s description with her.
How to Start:
Ask your local disability NGO or community centre to organise a session.
Suggest focusing on one AI tool, like Google Assistant or WhatsApp bots.
Encourage helpers to practice tasks like setting reminders or creating visuals.
Accessibility Tip: Ensure sessions use simple language and include visual or audio guides for helpers with low literacy.
Family Involvement Strategies: Building a Support Network
Your family can play a big role in using AI to help you. Here’s how to involve them effectively.
What It Is: Teaching family members to use AI to support your daily needs, like communication, scheduling, or learning.
Example: In Ethiopia, a girl named Bethlehem with severe mobility limitations relies on her father. He uses an AI app to type, “Create a daily routine chart,” and it makes a visual schedule Bethlehem can follow.
How to Start:
Talk to your family about your needs (e.g., “I need help with reminders”).
Show them one simple AI task, like asking, “Set a reminder for my doctor’s visit.”
Practice together, letting them try the task while you guide or confirm.
Connect with local NGOs for family training resources.
Accessibility Tip: If you can’t explain your needs, use gestures or pictures, or ask a community leader to help your family understand.
Legal and Ethical Considerations: Safe Assistance with AI
When a helper uses AI for you, safety is key:
Privacy: Ask your helper to only share necessary information with AI tools. For example, they should share your town, not your full address, for navigation tasks.
Trust: Choose helpers who respect your privacy and won’t misuse your information.
Accuracy: AI might give wrong answers. Ask your helper to double-check important results, like medical reminders, with a professional.
Laws: African laws, like Kenya’s Data Protection Act (2019) or South Africa’s POPIA, protect your data. Ensure helpers use apps that follow these rules.
Conclusion: Together, You and AI Are Stronger
You don’t need to use AI alone to benefit from it. With a trusted helper, simple tasks like creating communication boards or setting reminders can make a big difference. As Dr. Amina Yusuf, a Kenyan disability advocate, says, “In our communities, we thrive by helping each other—AI is just one more way to do that.”
Ask a family member or friend to try one AI task from this chapter, like making a picture board or setting a reminder. Together, you can make AI a powerful tool for your empowerment.